Water Daemon
by Luiza.guimaraes
Summary: The point of view of one of those men Lyra sees at the ship, who have to live inside the ship because their daemons can't live on land. This is a short story about a man, George, his dolphin daemon, Carol, he wishes to know the mainland and she the deep ocean. They decided to ask the witches how to get the ability of being apart.Sorry about mistakes english isn't my native language
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The sea was calm in that afternoon. The sun was was setting, panting the sky with a deep shade of orange, melted with light pink. The waves crashed against the hull of the ship. Resting his arms on the border was the sailor George, looking at the sea and talking with his dolphin _daemon_, Carol, who softly jumpped in and out of the water, accompaning the ship in it's journey.

"Don't you get tired of doing everything that silly captain says? Really, it's pissing me off! You know, we are at the limit distance from each other. Every time you go away from the border I feel as if my heart would break!"

"Don't keep telling me that, Carol! I know how much it hurts being appart from you, but it's not my fault that you chose a dolphin form."

"Well, in part it is your fault too. If you hadn't this passion for the sea I would have probably taken shape of a four legged animal."

George sighed and ignored her.

"Now I obey the captain's orders if I am supposed to stay in the ship. Beacause you know I can't afford to buy a boat large enough for me to live in."

She rolled her eyes and dived into the ocean, not comming back to surface to continue talking.

"George!" shouted the captain, a tall fat man, aged forty, with a hawk _daemon_. "Don't you have work to do? We are going to arrive at the cost next morning and I want all those boxes of fish ready to unload."

"Ay, captain."

The night was light and the sky full of stars with no moon. Whereas many of the sailors prefered to sleep inside, he and a few other sailors who have aquatic _daemons _rathered stay on the deck. It was the single moment when they were able to have an actual conversation with them. The ship was sailling peacefully and would be easy for Carol to swim near the hull."

"Carol, are you there?

She emerged slowly, swimming with only her head above the water.

"As always, George."

"You know, I've been thinking about what you said this evening..."

She nodded for him to continue.

"I am tired of obeying the captain."

"George, that was immature of me, I know that we have no choice."

"Perhaps we do."

She looked at him. Confusion stampped on her face.

"You know what they say about witches? And their _daemons _?"

"Yes, that they can live appart, but I don't get it. Where are you trying to get?"

"Well, as I said, I've been thinking... I... Maybe we can go to them, maybe we can ask them how they do it, and maybe they can teach us..."

"What?" she was horrified. The simple idea of being appart form George was unberable, almost repulsive.

"Don't look at me like that! I know you want to swim deep into the ocean as much as I want to know the mainland. And is not as if we were to stay appart for long. See, I could find a job on land, in a beach, of course, and then every evening I coul go swim with you."

"It's going to painful, George, more than already is. I won't cope with this silly idea! Go to sleep! You are not thinking properly."

She started to dive, but then came back as she had forgot to say something.

"And tomorrow you own me apologies!"

George rolled his eyes. He knew he had upsetted her. But it was just a simple idea... Perhaps she was right, and all he needed was a good night sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The ship had arrived at the South of England around 6 a.m, the sailors who were able to go on mainland were unloading huge boxes full of fishes, the Strong smell was polluting the air. George was helping as he could, along with other men whose _daemons_ were inside of the water. Carol and the others were close to the hull, as they usually did when their humans had to help unload, an useless tentative to less their awful pain for being appart.

"Those days are a nightmare, aren't Carol?" asked Liah, the beutiful fish _daemon _with Scarlet red and ivory coloured scales of George's great friend Josef.

"Yes..." she answered, lost in her own thoghts. The proposal George had done to her still echoed in her mind. They hadn't talked againg after it, but she could feel that he hadn't let the idea go.

The unloading process last for another 5 hours, and was about midday when was given the permission for the sailors to eat. George got him some fried fish, ignoring the protest in his stomach, saying he had enough of fish smell for the morning. He walked to the border of the ship, looking for Carol and he soon found her, swimming near Liah.

She looked to him as if expecting the apologies promissed the night before.

"Did you reconsidered?" he asked.

"Did you?" Carol said with the same offended expression of the night before.

George rolled his eyes and start eating his fish. As an answer, Carol just dived.

"What happened?" asked Josef, comming to his friend's side in the border of the ship.

"She is just uppset about something I told her yesterday."

The other lifted his shoulders, smiling briefly.

"I suppose you won't tell me the matter..."

"Nice try, Josef. And you know what? I think I'll ask your oppinon about this." He swallowed a piece of fish, trying to think what he could tell to his curious friend. "What do you think of living in this ship?"

"Wonderful! Why do you ask?"

"Because I hate it. Receiving orders from the captain everyday, feeling this awful pain in the chest every time we had to go a few feet away from the border... I can't stand it anymore! I want to know the mainland, to live for myself, to see different things other than this endless sea... I want to go back to the countryside of my England, visit my family..."

"Why do you want that? Is there anything better than life at the sea?" interrupted Josef, the anxiety stamped on his face. "Me and Liah wouldn't change it for nothing in the world! The water is everything to us! I thought it was for you too!"

"It is... or was... I mean, it still is, but... not this way... The sea is huge and obeys to no human law, that is why I like it. But living in this ship and being away from Carol is nothing like that."

"We are humans George, we are not the ocean, we obey our people's laws." He had a resigned air.

They stopped talking after this. George walked to the ship's stem, feeling yhat his _daemon_ was swimming near there. He sat on the lowest part of the hull, his feet near touching the water.

"I know you are here, can you come up?" he asked to he waves.

Carol emerged, her face showing an uppset look.

"You won't apologize, will you?"

"Nope. You won't change your mind, will you?

She lowered her head, thinking.

"Perhaps... Try to convince me. Explain your reasons for this insanity."

She had given him a chance, and he would use it.

"I told you already. I don't think that passing my life in this ship is the right thing to do. Ii is bad for us. We already live appart, if we go for the witches than maybe we can live together once more. Here I can't leave the ship, but if I lived on a beach and worked on land, than I would be free to swim with you. I could touch you again."

After this last thing, she lifted her head. George knew he had touched a weak spot, since she had taken her definitive form, they hadn't touched again, as he never had left the ship after that. He could sea a sparkling tear drop forming near Carol's left eye. She dived her face for a brief second, trying to hide it, and then said:

"And what if the witches decide not to help us? Or worse, what if they simply say that their relationship with their _daemons _is a witch thing? That they were born this way?"

"Then we simply will have to accept it, but at least we tried."

She breathed deeply and for a few minutes said nothing, George just stared at her, waiting for the final answer.

"Ok. We'll go." She said, reluctantly. "But it will be dangerous. Do you have any idea of how we will make it? I mean, it's a long way to the North."

"Captain said that we are leaving to Trollesund today. We go along with them. Then, once we are there I tell him I'll quit this job, and we go find Dr. Lanselius, the witches prime minister, he will lead us to them."

"And what about me? How am I supposed to follow you, if I can't get out of the water?"

"We will find a way."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

By the time the night had fallen, the ship had already sailed a good lenght. The air was a lot cooler and all the sailors were looking for their heavy coats.

"So, is everything all right between you and Carol?" asked Josef, sitting beside George in the deck.

"Is getting better." He answered, not wanting to tell his friend what they were planing to do.

"Good!"

Few by few, the sailors were going to the hold, protecting themselves from the cold night air. Josef got them two heavy blankets and laid down against the border of the ship. A few minutes later he was snoring hard.

George couldn't sleep, he was anxious. How will they manage to see Dr. Lanselius? And how will they find a witch? And even more, if they found her, how will they convince her to teach them how to be appart? He spent the night thing about those matters and soon enough he saw the sun rising at the horizon.

"Wake up everybody!" shouted the captain five minutes later, from the door of his cabin. "Hurry up ladies! We have a long day and I want everything clean and ready for the time we arrive in Trollesund!"

All the men at the deck stood up, sleepy, some of them went down to the hold to call the others. George and Josef, feeling the cold air against their skins got even cooler, decided to go pick up some jackets, to distribute among the other sailors.

The morning passed as any other, but George couldn't hide his anxiety. He could feel Carol's fright as she swam fast to keep up with the ship. He was distracted, thinking about their future and the risks they would take, he even started to reconsier the idea.

"C'mon, you little girl!" the Captain hit his shoulder. "You are deadly slow today!"

"Ay, Captain!" he answered. The reconsideration vanished from his mind. They were doing the right thing.

By time the night fall the Northen Lights were alredy visible at the sky. The melting colours had an hipynotic effect on everyone at the ship, even the Captain stopped shouting to stare at the sky.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said Josef by George's side.

"Yeah..."

"You are so introspective... What is happening?"

George thought that maybe he could trust his friend with the truth... Or at least part of it.

"We are going to leave the ship."

Josef's eyes widen, his mouth pop open. The lights from the sky making strange shadows on his face.

"What?" he laugh in disbelief. "And how do you pretend to live?"

The other man sighted.

"We don't know." He lied.

"Are you trying to kill yourselves?" shouted Josef.

George looked down to the waves, fear crossing his mind as he thinks that his friend have a point.

A cold breeze hitted them and both friends shivered.

"I'll get some more heavy coats for us." said George, not wanting the conversation to go any further.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The sun rose early, too early, a sign that they were reaching their destination. George was leaning against the border of the ship, looking at the waves crashing against it. He hadn't been able to sleep the whole night.

"Are you ready?" asked Carol, emerging from the waves.

He inhaled deeply.

"I don't know... Are you?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"You are not going to back down now, are you?"

"No! Not at all!" said Geaorge finally releasing his breath. "I am just... Scared."

"We are." She corrected him.

"Get ready ladies! We're arriving in three hours! Get ready for the unloading!" the Captain shouted from his cabin door.

"That's it Carol. We are going." said George and a chill run up his spine and he doesn't knew if it was cold or fear.

The Captain was laughing hard.

"So, you're leaving?" he said, amused. "And where do you think you're going?"

George looked right at the other's eyes, showing more determination than he really had.

"We are leaving."

"OK, then!" the Captain still laughed "Go on!"

He pointed George the unloading ramp, his face showing an ironic grin.

"I need my payment."

The other raised an eyebrow. But tucked his hand in his coat's pocket and handed him five gold coins.

"Thank you." said George, swallowing his pride. He turned his back to the Captain an gave one step foward, than another, and slowly he got out of the ship, leaving a mouth-oppened Captain behind.

"So, what now?" asked Carol.

George was walking at the port's sidewalk with his _deamon _swimming as close as she could. People looked at them as if they were from another world.

"We need to ask someone for a witch."

"I don't think there will be any witches in this town, not at any town, actually."

"Still, we need to find one."

"She is right. You won't find a witch inside a city." said a low voice comming from deep shadows behind them.

"Do you know where we can find one?" asked George giving one step at the stranger's direction, but suddenly stopping, feeling his chest twists as he got away from Carol.

"That will depend on what do you want with a witch."

George hesitate, he wouldn't trust a stranger this matter, it was too personal.

"I want to make a deal."

The shadow made a low noise that could be a laugh.

"A deal, uh? Well, I guess you should speak with their Prime Minister. But looking at you, I suppose you won't make it to his house."

"Where is it?"

"Two blocks inside the town, walking from here."

"Is there any way I can get you to go there and call him for me?"

The stranger made that low noise again.

"No, not me. Unless..."

"Unless?"

"Unless you answer my question. Why a witch?"

George sighted.

"We... we want to ask... see if they can... help us."

"You need favours from a witch?" the stranger came out of the dark and George could take the whole view of him.

He was a large man, his body strong and marked with long, red scars. His hair was brown, dirty, as his ripped clothes, and his eyes were small and dark. His _daemon _was nowhere to be seen.

"Yes. We do. Can you ask the Prime Minister to come here." said George, swalowing hard with fear, but still managing to speak.

"Well, you are determined, fellow. Or you have a pretty bad problem."

"Are you going to help me?"

"George, back off!" shouted Carol from the water.

"You should really listen to her, you know?"

"Where is your _daemon_?" asked George, not bearing to hold the question any longer.

The other laughed. From the shadows came a black panther with wet messy fur and blue eyes looking straight to him, who cautiously took a step back.

"You're quite a brave man. But I guess I can't help you..." the stranger started to turn his back on him, but then George shouted.

"How much? Tell me your price."

The other turned to him again.

"How much can you pay me?"

"Two gold coins."

"I'm sorry." He shruged.

"Three! It's all I have!" it was a lie, but if he offered anything else, he would probably starve before getting to talk with any witch.

The stranger seemed to reconsider.

"Let me see."

George took three coins and showed to the stranger.

"I guess we have a deal then." He said, getting the coins and tucking them into one of his pants pockets.

The stranger and his _daemon_ turned their backs and started to walk away from the street, leaving George considering if it had been a good idea trusting so desperatly on a stranger.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"I think you lost your money." said Carol with a bored expression.

It has already passed one hour since the stranger and his panther _daemon_ has been gone to call Dr. Lanselius, the witch's prime minister. George was walking from side to side at the sidewalk, as near as he could get from the water in a vain attempt to get closer to Carol. He was hungry but he didn't dare to leave his place, hopping that the stranger might come back.

"Let's wait a little longer. Maybe Dr. Lanselius isn't at his house."

She rolled her eyes.

"Do you really think that that creepy man would wait by his door if the prime minister isn't there?"

George sighted. She's gotta a point.

Suddenly, he spotted a young boy, not more than ten years-old, hiding behind some old boxes. He looked at them for a few seconds and then run away, seeming determined.

"Who was that?" asked Carol.

"No idea."

"We should go. I don't like being here looking all vunerable."

"No, let's wait. We already came this far, it's not as if we can go back now."

She sighted, pissed, but didn't said anything else.

More twenty minutes passed and George was starting to consider his _daemon_'s idea when the young boy came back, this time, followed by a fat man wearing a black suit with a small green serpent as a _daemon_.

George lifted hid head and looked at the both figures trying to control his anxiety.

"You can go now." said dr. Lanselius to the boy, who turned away and run, his _daemon _quickly changing from a dog to a small bird.

"So," continued the prime minister. "You must be needing pretty bad to find a witch, because that boy you asked to call me was really insistent."

George decides not to say that he didn't asked for a boy to go call him, but a strange man.

"I am sorry to have taken you from your home, sir. But we are desperate for help, and, as you can see, we are not able to leave the port." He answered.

Dr. Lanselius gave a step foward to look more closely to Carol, his serpent-_daemon_ rising her head as well.

"We need to find a witch."

The prime minister raised an eyebrow.

"_A _witch?"

"Yes. Any witch. We need..." he stopped, his pride and fear not letting him go on.

"We need help." finished Carol, not bothering to talk with a strange human.

"And this help is...?"

George inhaled deeply.

"We want to ask them... the witches... if... if they can... teach us... how to be appart, without being hurt."

A shadow of what could be a look of pity crossed Dr. Lanselius face.

"Well... I guess this is not going to be possible, you see, witches are very reserved in their rituals, we don't even know if that is an ability that can be taught."

"We know." answered George, trying to ignore his desilusion. "But we are willing to do anything, to go anywhere."

The serpent-_daemon _looked at Carol as if doubting the three last words.

"I am sorry. I am not going to find anyone who would be disposed to help you."

"Can't you just try, sir? There must be at least one witch that can help us, or maybe just talk to us."

The fat man sighted, his patience seeming to be vanishing.

"No. There isn't. Have a good day." He turned his back to them and George saw all his hopes going with him.

But then, dr. Lanselius turned again.

"You know, you can always bump into one. There is a gyptian's boat anchored a few steps foward, they are going further North. Maybe they can take you with them."

A small flash of hope lighted George's heart. Carol made a splash with her tail, trying to lift her head to the sidewalk level.

"Thank you, sir." Answerd George, barely able to find his words.

The other man sighted.

"And just another advice, if you are able to choose a witch clan to do your request I would suggest the Lake Enara one. Their queen is a little more... open-minded about those matters. Now, good luck, young man."

And he was gone, to the insides of the city, a place that neither George or Carol could venture further.

It was probably around four o'clock in the evening when George and Carol found the gyptians boat, but that was not certain because the sun was in the very same position in the sky as the time they had arrived. It was summer in the North.

George looked at the boat which was anchored quite near to the shore, with a wood ramp linking it with land. It was a simple boat, made of wood. It's deck has a construction similar with a small house, with it's door turned to George's side. He took a step foward cautiously, with his _daemon_ accompaning all his moves with her eyes. He walked until he reaches his door and gently gave it a knock.

A few seconds passed until he heard heavy footseps from the inside and a fat, short man with black beard and hair oppened the door. His _daemon_ has an unusual form of an exotic animal that took George a few seconds to remember the name, a caracal, with a bright golden fur and piercing grey eyes.

"What do you want?" asked the gyptian.

"Good evening, sir." Started George, trying to speak in the most polite way he could. "My name is George, and at the water is my _daemon_ Carol. We were informed that your boat is going to a trip further north and we like to know if we could join you."

The gyiptian looked suspicious, his _daemon_ observing George carefully.

"And why is that?"

George hold his breath, trying to think in an apropriate excuse.

"We... we are looking for some adventure." He said, hoping to sound convincing. "We have worked our hole life in a fish company ship and just a few days ago we realized that we were not living at all."

The other man raised an eyebrow.

"We want to know the world, but as you can see, we cannot do it without a boat. You don't need to take us far. Just somewhere near Lake Enara."

The gyptian's lips curled in what could be a sarcastic smile.

"Adventure, huh? What kind of adventure are you planing, young man, with witches?"

George mentally repressed himself for such an ignorance. It was obvious that Lake Enara was a witch land, how could he have been so stupid to tell where he was going for this strange man?

Carol jumped in the air in a dolphin-like jump, reminding him with a single look in the eye that this was their only chance.

"All right, listen, I don't have much money to pay for the trip, but as I said, I have worked my hole life in a ship, so I can work here to pay for my expenses until we reach my destination."

"Well... I guess our deck needs cleaning." Answed the fat man. "All right then. We will take you as near as we can go to Lake Enara, but you be warned, it wil still be a long walk until you get there, _if_ you manage to do it. You know, those lands are forbbiden for us."

"Thank you very much, sir." Said George, finding his politeness back.

"Now come inside, I like to introduce you to my family and maybe my wife will feel pitty for you and give you something to eat. Now c'mon, inside." The man stepped aside to let him pass, his caracal-_daemon_ never taking his eyes out of him.

Geoge entered the small house, trying to ignore the pain in his heart as he got even farther from Carol.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The first night at the gyptians boat was very different from the ones George used to spent in the large ship he had worked.

The sky has only a few stars, thanks to the season; summer in the North means the sun shined all through the day and night. He laid his arms on the boat's border to talk to his _daemon_. They were stopped, as all the gyptians were asleep, so, for the first time in years, he and Carol would have a proper night sleep, without her needing to keep up with a ship during the night.

"Are you scared?" he asked Carol, already knowing the answer.

"Terribly scared. You?"

"Me too."

They were silent for a few seconds.

"But... I think it will be good. I mean, I already feel better here, with you outside of _that_ ship."

George smiled faintly.

"And this will be the first night in what? Twenty years you will get some real sleep?"

She rolled her eyes, but he could feel her satisfaction.

"Yes. And I will do it now, if you allow me. I am pretty tired, we've had a long day."

He smiled again.

"Good night Carol."

"Good night George."

"Wake up young man!"

George opened his eyes and found Theo Neyre , the fat gyptian that owned the boat poking him with his index finger.

"Time to go on. We have more two days until Lake Enara."

The sky was not much different from the time he went to sleep, but he had enough sailing experience to know it must be around 6 a.m or not much after it.

"Thanks for waking me up, Theo Neyre." He answered, streching his arms and sitting on the deck. "How can I help you?"

A woman's voice came from wood house's door.

"First you can help me eating some of this breakfast I've done for you, then my husband can decide what you will do next."

Her name was Lana Neyre and she was as fat as her husband, with her cheeks coloured of light pink and a mother-like smile on her face, her _daemon _was a beautiful koala, with fur in a very light shade of grey, mixed with some dark black stripes on his tail.

George smiled. He stood up and walked to the house, feeling that Carol was already awake and rested.

"Thank you Mrs. Neyre. I don't want to abuse of your hospitality."

"I would feel offended if you don't eat my food!" she answered with a frown and hushed him inside, not looking at Theo Neyre's face as he rolled his eyes.

George fineshed his breakfest in less than 5 minutes, it has been more than 20 years since he last had a proper breakfest.

"Thank you very much Mrs. Neyre." he said as he finished the last piece of his bread.

Inexplicabily, he was feeling grateful towards this gyptian family. He was a stranger and they were helping him in exchange only for his works at the boat. He had always heard awful stories about gyptians, that they sold their kids as slaves for the turkish merchants. But that was nothing like that what he was seeing in that family.

Theo and Lana Neyre had two kids; a girl, Molly and a boy, Charlie, they shouldn't have more than 8 years-old. The two kids were loved by their parents. And George could see that the stories he had heard his entire life were wrong.

"Daddy said that you want to see the witches!" said Molly, with her _daemon_ quickly changing from a tiny guinea pig to a bright green parrot, whose eyes stared curiously at him. "Why's that?"

"Hush! Molly!" shouted Lana Neyre, clearly not liking the direction that the subject was going.

"But I want to know, mummy!"

The women rolled her eyes.

"George, you don't need to answer her." She said it as if it was an order rather than a request.

And he decided it was better that way. He stood up from the table, gave his plate to Lana Neyre and walked to the door, saying to the chid, as an answer:

"We will talk later, all right Molly? I have to work right now."

The little gril looked upset, but soon her attention turned to her older brother and she started to pinch him on the shoulder, laughing at his irritation.

George walked to the deck, he grabed a wet broom and started cleaning the very dirt wood.

The day passed slowly and soon all the work that was need to be done at the boat was over. George had already cleaned the deck and the outside windows of the small house, he had organised all ropes and other sailing materials that were thrown all over the deck. He had also asked to clean the insides of the house, but Lana Neyre had not allowed.

"Now you go outside and spend some time with that _daemon_ of yours!"She had said, sending him away with a 'choo' "The insides are my business, my obligation, as the outsides are Theo's. If he contracted you to help him that is what you should do, to me you are a guest!"

He decided not to argue with her and go to her husband to see if there was any more work for him, but Theo Neyre dispensed him without paying much attention, concentrated in some maps, so George went to the border and, following Lana's advice, went talk to Carol.

"Do you think they will be willing to help us?" she asked, and he knew full well what she was talking about.

"I hope... Actually, I think they will. Think about it, if we had asked to anyone they would have said it is impossible for us to go this far, but look at us!" he answerd, optimistic. "Here we are!"

The dolphin frown.

"We are not there yet, George."

He sighted.

"Yes, you are right. But we need to think positive now."

"Yeah... I will give you that."

They smiled. The sun was high but the deck clock was showing 5 p.m. Soon Lana Neyre would call the family for dinner.

George looked at the stem and found the young Charlie looking to the ocean as if trying to solve it's enigma. George remembered him having the same look on his face when he was that age, and for a second, feared what could happen to the boy and his _daemon_.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he realised that he had walked in the boy's direction.

Charlie looked at him as if he had two heads.

"The sea." George continued. "It looks endless."

The child smiled.

"Yeah... it does."

They were quiet for a moment. The boy's _daemon _changed to dolphin form and dived in the middle of the waves, swimming along with Carol.

George frowned and Charlie smiled when he saw it.

"I am not afraid that she stays this way." He said, as if answering his thoughts. "Or that she choses any water animal form."

The man couldn't understand the reason. The boy was only a child, he probably had no idea of what would happen if he had a water _daemon_.

"You say that now, when your _daemon_ can change as she pleases, but look at me." He looked to the waves, to the place where Carol was. "Look at us, child. We are stuck. I don't touch her ever since she settled and we went work on the ship."

"Why? Why don't you simply go with her for a swim? My father never let me swim when we are traveling, but I bet he would if my _daemon_ was settled as a dolphin."

George laughed shyly.

"You and I can't swim in the artic sea, we would die with cold. Probably that is why your father don't let you do it! But even when I was in warmer waters, back then when I used to work at the ship, the Captain never allowed the sailors to swim."

"But that would never happend with me. You see sir, you are a landloper, and I am a gyptian." He said the last part proud of himself. "I am a water creature and one day I will have my own boat. I will never have to answer a captain."

The man sighted. Charlie was right, it would be no problem for him to have a water _daemon_, but for George things were different, and the only chance he and Carol had to be together as they once were was to find a way to be appart.

"_What an irony."_ thought George.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The two days passed as slowly as possible, but finally they got so further north that the sun was not settling anymore. George knew that it was time for him and Carol to go on alone.

"We are almost there." Said Theo comming to George's side at the deck.

"We are thankful for everything you and your family did to us these last days. You have no idea of how much you are helping us."

"Well, I just hope that whatever you are planing don't put us all in trouble with those witches." Said the gyptian. His caracal _daemon_ stared at the other man suspiciously.

George sighted, but couldn't answer to the man, as himself was not so sure if their were not going to be in trouble with the witches for asking what they intended to.

"This is the furthest I'll go." Said Theo Neyre as they reached the end of the sea. In the front of them was all ice.

The pale sun was high in the sky, but still, the cold was almost unberable.

"Thank you." Said George. "You have helped us a lot, sir."

The gyptian noded and the other man turned to the rest of the family to say good bye.

"Thank you for everything, Mrs. Neyre. I will always remember your hospitality."

The woman smiled weakly, looking pitty for the young man.

He waved a good-bye to the children and got out of the boat.

They have walked for an hour along the ice coast. Goerge had a feeling that if they were supposed to find Lake Enara they should go into the ice, but that was impossible for them. So they decided to walk with no direction, waiting to call a witch attention before they freeze.

"The water is cold." Complained Carol.

"I can feel it too, you know?" he answed, ironical.

But she was no longer paying attention, in the sky was a small dot flying in their direction, almost undistinguable in the white sky. A small sparkle of hope touched their hearts.

The dot was a bird, a goose, a majestic one. Soon, they saw it couldn't be a bird, it was a _daemon_.

The goose landed in front of George. His eyes showed great wisdom, and the man felt as if he was no older than a child.

"Who are you?" the goose asked.

Carol tried to swim closer to her human, a little scared that the other _daemon _didn't seemed to have one himself.

"My name is George. She is Carol. We are looking for a witch. Can you take us to yours?"

One of the many reasons Carol loved her human so much was his ability to hold himself together in situations like that and go straight to the point they wanted.

"And why should I do that?" asked the goose.

"Because..." the dolphin _daemon_ tried to speak. It was a little awkward George talking to someone else's _daemon_. "Because we traveled from so far... And... We need your help."

"Well, tell me child, why do you need our help for." The goose graciously entered the water and swam close to Carol. George felt a tiny relief to see he was no longer obliged to talk to him. And the witch _daemon _seemed disposed to listen to them.

"We... well... It's hard to say..." begined Carol. "We know we are asking something unusual but... we really want to be together again and..."

"Hush, child." Said the goose gently. "You are going to nowhere nervous like that. Are you cold?"

"Yes." Answered Carol timidly.

The goose closed his eyes and went quiet for a moment. Then blowed softly Carol's face. George felt weird and suddenly, all cold Carol was feeling stopped.

"Thank you." She said.

"You are welcome. Now tell me, how do you get here and what for."

Slowly Carol started to tell him the conversation between her and George back in the ship, and all the reasons they have to have decided to go for the witches. She told him how they manage to get there, the conversation with Dr. Lanselius and the gyptians boat.

"Please, if we have done it wrong don't take down in those gyptians. They are a very good family and don't mean harm to anyone." She finished.

The goose was in deep thoghts. He went quiet for a few seconds and then said, this time directing to both of them.

"You have no idea what you are asking for. The ability to be appart of our witches is something that cannot be teached. It is a knowledge that belongs to our people and shouldn't be passed on."

George and Carol felt all their hopes go away. What would be of them now? They realised that they have taken all their chances in this jouney. There was no way of comming back now. There was nowhere to go back. Now their situations would be worst than it once were.

"However, as my witch once said, many things are changing and even witches need to learn to adapt. So I will take you to my clan and if they decide that you should know what you want, then so it will be."

Carol's eyes lightened a little.

"Thank you."

The goose nodded. His face was serious.

"George." He said, turning to George. "Take Carol on your arms. Lake Enara is not so far, but there is no river conecting it to the sea, and a magic to take your us three there would be too tiring for me. Once we arrived she will be able to swim at the lake."

The man and his _daemon_ looked at each other for a cupple of seconds, feeling a tingle of antecipation for how it would feel for them to touch again after so long.

George put his hands into the too cold water and Carol slowly swimed into them. He felt her lisa skin brush against his own, and, putting his hand under her fins, carefully pulled her out of the water, nestling her in his arms as a small baby. Carol let escape a small sight of comfort.

"We shall go now. Walk faster and try not to loose me from sight, or you both will be dead in less than an hour."

The goose opened his wings and jumped to the air. Flying in a large circle to say one last thing to the man and his _daemon_.

"Once you get in Lake Enara you must know my name and my witch's. I'm Kaisa, and she is Serafina Pekkala, the clan-queen."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Kaisa was right, Lake Enara wasn't so far away. In less than 15 minutes they were there. The witche's land was beautiful in it's own way. It was a forest in the top of the North, something that George never thought was possible to exist.

As they arrived, leaded by the goose _daemon_, many of the witches who were around, preparing wood for something that seems to become a bonfire, looked at them, some with less interest then the others, but all of them looking both, Young and old at the same time.

The lake was in the middle of the forest, sorounded by pinetrees and caves of all sorts, Kaisa said to George to let Carol in the water and wait with her, while he was going to find his witch.

The man and his _daemon_ relutanctly got appart. Even though Carol was starting to feel the need of water, her urge for her human touch after such a time was bigger.

The goose was taking long to come back and they started to feel tense. Meanwhile, the other witches that they saw preparing bonfires were now getting closer to the bigger cave, the nearest from where George and Carol were. Was that a bad sign?

It took a few more minutes until Kaisa came to then again.

"George, please follow me. Serafina decided to hear your request."

"Is it far?"asked a worried Carol.

The goose gave his sad smile once again.

"No, chid. You both will be fine."

Kaisa and George entered the woods. The man was only starting to feel the so familiar pain from being appart from his _daemon_ when they arived in a circle of withces, all sitting around a large bonfire.

"Welcome, George."said a blonde one who was wearing a crown made of little red flowers. "I am Serafina Pekkala, the clan-queen of the witches of Lake Enara."

"It's an honour to meet you."answered the man, a little scared.

She gave a small smile.

"Kaisa told me you have a request for us."and then she looked straigth to his eyes. "A very particular one."

He inhaled deeply, all eyes where on him.

"Well... I am sorry if what I am asking is an offence or if I am breaking some law. I am only a sailor, I don't know much of what is forbbiden and what is allowed."

Serafina Pekkala just nodded, giving him a sign to continue. George breathed hard once more, and then started his request.

"My _daemon_ settled as a dolphin when we where fourteen. By that time I was a dreamy boy who always thoght that someday would build a floting house and let all the gyptians envious. I dreamed that someday I would finally discover all the seas and find out what mistery does the waves hide at the ocean."

"But when Carol settled I was presented with reality. The only way for us to live was in the sea, but I didn't had any money to buy a ship, so I decided to work on one, as a way to stay alive and still earn some money of my own. The last time I touched my _daemon_ was the day I started to work. It's been 25 years since then. I know that for you this does't mean long, but for a human is almost a quarter of a life! Please try to put yourselves in my place. Try to imagine staying, I don't know what is the equivalent for you, 75 years maybe? Try to stay this time without touching your daemon."

The witches remained impassible. It was hard for George to see if he was getting somewhere.

"So, a few days ago we decided to leave that ship. We decided to come here and ask you if... if you could teach us how to be appart from each other without being hurt."

His last sentence had an impact on the witches. They whispered among themselves, one or two even tried to talk directly to him, but the queen raised her hand, asking them a little patience, as George still appeared to have something to say.

"We are not here just because we want comfort. We are here because we want freedom. If Carol and I could be like you and your _daemons_, we would be free. I could work on land, spend the day in there, and then swim with her in the evenings, even sleep near her in the night. I would be able to touch her more times. It would be almost as if we were like everyone else."

The women around him were divided. Some of them, the youngest – thought George – looked as if they were feeling sorry for him, the eldest have an expression of fury in their faces, but the resto f them have the same impassible expression as their queen.

"Your Majesty..."George spoke to Serafina. "Please."

She seemed to pounder his situation for a few seconds and then raised her voice to speak with the other witches.

"My sisters, this human man is asking us to give away some of our secret knowledge. I now ask, wich of you are against it?"

Almost all of the witches raised their hands. George could count just a small group that remained with the neutral expression in their faces and their hands crossed in their laps.

"And wich are in favour?"

George waited. Hoping that maybe some of them would change their minds or that the witches that still hadn't manifested would do so. But nothing happened. The man looked down, unable to move or talk.

"So now let me remember you of a story that happened not so long ago." Serafina Pekkala had started talking againg. "The story of a young human girl and a young human boy and how they proved that even our people need to adjust in this new era that we have entered."

The women seemed to reconsider their thoughts. George had no idea what the clan-queen was talking about, but it apears to be having some effect on the witches.

"We all fought against something that used to rule above everything else using the diferences among races as an excuse. From all of us, those two children were the ones who were asked from and had to gave up more than anyone else. If we don't want to be like those who were our enemies, we should start learning to adapt."

The silence ruled above them for what George considered an eternity, he was even begining to think that the witches had finished their conference, when a young witch (and she must have been really young, because she looked no more than fifteen human years), timidly suggested:

"Queen Serafina, I guess his _daemon _should learn the procedures, and if she shows that she can bare them, than maybe we can tell the human where to go."

All the other women turned to youngling, most of them looked surprised.

"Well, do the others agree with our sister Mariela?" asked the Queen.

"I don't." said another witch, whose _daemon_, a blue crow with black head, was resting on her left shoulder. She turned to Mariela. "You are young, this is the first meeting you are able to give your opinion, what would you know about preserving our tradicions?"

Mariela seemed to use all her courage to answer the other witch.

"I addmit, my sister, that I am the youngest and the least wise, but still, I have fresh memories from the Land Where Nothing Lives, as you well know, I am still living the consequences of that."

George didn't knew why, but suddenly he felt a chil run through his spine. The air seemed even cooler, if that was at all possible. The witch with the blue crow _daemon_ didn't say any other word, but the bird moved uncomfortably on her hands.

Serafina Pekkala broke the silence:

"My opinion is that we do as our young sister suggested. Is anyone against?"

It was visible that not all the witches had completely agreed with the idea, but as none of them said anything, the clan queen approved the plan.

She and Kaisa decided to go themselves with George to the lake where Carol was waiting. The man was feeling greatful when he finnaly joined his _daemon_.

"You are back!" exclaimed Carol. "Will they help us?"

Kaisa was the one who answered:

"It depends on you."

"Me? Well... I want your help. What should I do?"

"You should be strong."

Carol showed a puzzled face. George was not quite getting what the witches meant either. He couldn't understand what could be so difficult in tlling them what to do.

"You shall sit, George." began Serafina Pekkala, a kind mother-like expression. On her face. "I have a short story to tell you."

He obeyed, even though the floor was icy because of snow. She sat next to him as if sitting on a comfortable armchair. Kaisa entered the lake and got closer from Carol, as if trying to protect her from some evil.

"Not so long ago, the great majority of the witch clans joined their forces in a great battle that changed forever our history. Everything began with a horible event, when the Magisterium started to make experiments in Bolvangar with young children, children with unfixed _daemons_. They cut the link we all have with our _daemons_ and left those poor children only half alive.

"Then came a young girl and she set all those children free. She crossed bridges to many others worlds and universes we never imagined that existed. She met a young boy in one of this worlds. Together they crossed the Land of the Dead and got the ability you and your _daemon_ now ask us to teach. They fought against the Authority and restabilished the natural order of the universe. They've founded the Republic of Heaven.

"Ever since, many things have changed. All the concious beings in all the universes are having to learn to adapt to the new circunstances we now are.

And that is why we are considering your request."

"The way we know to get person and _daemon_ separated is not artificial as the one used in Bolvangar."said Kaisa. "But is not less painful. Expecially for a _daemon._"

Carol shriled, but bravely asked:

"What shall we do?"

Serafina Pekkala sighed.

"George should cross the Land Where Nothing Lives. Alone."

The human and _daemon_ seemed to find no difficult in that.

"So is not so hard."expressed Carol their feelings. "We are traveling alone ever since we left the ship."

Kaisa looked straight into her eyes.

"You cannot go with him. You cannot enter the Land. Your human shall go alone."

The four of them sat quiet for many minutes. The man and the dolphin still trying to comprehend what they have heard.

Finnaly, George broke the silence.

"It is... impossible! I can't leave her behind! I just can't! Not if we want to stay alive! It's impossible! No one can just leave their _daemon _as if it was someone else!"

"No." Explained Serafina Pekkala patiently. "In any other place of this world, if you leave your _daemon_ behind you both are dead. But this land is different. A great tragedy happened there once. Living people can't get in. And your _daemon_ is your life."

"As the experience is worse for _daemons_, is you who have to decide, Carol."finished Kaisa. "If you think you are brave enough, we wil tell you where to go."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

George spent the night near the Lake, refusing all the attempts of hospitability from the witches, soon, they got tired and left him alone. He was shivering with cold, but still, he was near from Carol.

"Have you decided?" he asked her, but looking at the sky, lighted with the midnigth sun. It must be summer solstice by now.

"No... I want us to decide this together, no matter what those silly witches say!"

George could see she was trying to ease the tension between them, the word 'silly' it was kind of a code, ever since they were little Carol used the word as a way to make fun out of serious people. But this time, it wasn't working.

"They say it hurts badly."

"It should. Is not something natural."

"No, it is not. I don't like the idea of having to leave you behind."

"Neither do I." Carol used a sarcastic tone. "And we thinking that the hardest part would be convincing them to 'teach' us the ability."

George gave a small laughter.

"So? Should we give up now?"

She silenced for a moment, thinking deeply.

"I wish so."

George tried to contain his disappointment, he could feel that his _daemon _was still considering the proposal.

"But then, what would be of us? You left the ship, but you colud find a job in another one... but then we would have come here for nothing."

The man didn't interfere, Carol was in the middle of an argument with herself. She dived into the Lake and George lifted his head to stare at the sky, the sun provoking a feeling of wierdness inside him. He felt the bond with Carol pinch his heart and he knew that she must be in the bottomof the Lake.

Ten minutes passed before the pain eases and Carol's head emerge from the water.

"You said that a young witch interfered for us in the council."

"Yes."

"And she was the only one without a present _daemon_?"

"Not the only one, but the one who was sad about it. She said that she was still living the consequences of going to the Land Where Nothing Lives."

Carol didn't answered. She swam near the border of the Lake for a few seconds before reaching to a conclusion.

"We shall go. This will probably be traumatic, but is the chance we have to earn our freedom."

He nodded. The bond that connect them was the only thing that kept them appart.

"Shall we tell Serafina Pekkala now?" he asked.

"No. Let's wait for her to come here. I want to spent the rest of the night only with you."


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

"_So you have made your choice." said Kaisa. "Your ignorance makes you brave."_

_George decided not to take the offence personally._

"_Can you tell us where to go?" he asked._

_Serafina Pekkala was the one who answered, her goose _daemon_ seemed disappointed with their decision._

"_You shall go north. When you leave our forest you should walk for another fifteen minutes before you find a small waterfall. This is the far Carol can go."_

Freezing, I am freezing.

It's cold. The water is so cold.

Where is he? Where is George? Why he left me?

Cold...

He said he would never leave me.

"_After that, you are in the Land Where Nothing Lives. You must find your way out. I cannot say where it is."_

He said he would come back for me.

I should wait.

I am his _daemon_. He loves me.

"_But be careful George: when you find your way out you no longer will be at the entrance."_

Maybe he don't.

He lied to me. He don't want me. He just wanted to get rid of me. I was just trouble for him ever since I settled in this ridiculous dolphin form.

I want to get away from here.

"_Our _daemons_ can fly, so they can find us when we leave the Land. But Carol will be imprisioned by the water. You will have to find her."_

But I can't. I'm stuck in this creepy waterfall lake!

Oh... It's so cold.

His body was warm, even from a distance.

"_We will give you food for a week. Eat it cautiously and it may last longer. Also, as the trip until the waterfall takes some time, more than she can bare out of the water. We will do a spell to protect her from dihidration and another one to protect her from cold during a week. That's all we can do."_

"_Is already more than I can ask. Thank you."_

I am lost.

All I can see is white. And gray.

White ice.

Grey snow.

_They have reached the waterfall._

"_So here I stay." Said Carol bravely._

"_Yes." He looked her with love. "I will come back for you, never doubt that."_

White sky.

Grey water.

Where is he? Why he left me?

I always have felt him. I always knew where he was.

Now I don't.

White snow flakes.

"_Don't take long."_

"_I can't promise that. I'll try."_

_He turned his back and then it came._

_Pain. _

_Worse than everything she ever felt._

"_No! No, George! Came back!"_

_He had collapsed in the floor, 5 meters away from the waterfall._

"_Please." He shouted. "Please, be strong! It hurts for me too."_

_Carol was able to contain a scream. He was right, they have decided this together._

Together.

Will we ever be together again?

Grey body.

Body? Whose body?

His body?

No... it's just me.

I'm alone.

He left me.

Pain.

Water. Water will ease the pain. I have to dive.

"_Carol! I promise! I will never leave you! I will come back!"_

I have to...

Is black under the water.

Cold. Cold!

Pain again.

"_Carol!"_

I have to emerge.

White sky.

How long am I here?

What if his dead?

No! Don't be stupid! You would be dead as well!

Am I? Dead?

White. Gray. Black. White again.

Cold.

"_Carol!"_

Silence.

Not even the waterfall makes a noise.

Where are we?

I.

Where am _I. _

He is not here.

Is just me.

"Carol!"

And his voice.

His voice in my head.

"Carol! Carol I've found you! Carol!"

I don't want to see him anymore.

It still hurts, what he have done to me.

To us.

Us?

"Carol! Carol, let me touch you! You must be freezing! Come here."

No!

I swim away. I am angry with him.

But he is here.

The pain... is gone.

Relief.

"Carol? Are you all right? Come. Let's go back to Lake Enara. It's too cold for you there."

It is.

He can feel it?

"Isn't it? The spell must be gone by now. I took so long to find you, I am so sorry".

No. He can't. He just know it's cold because the spell has been gone.

Our bond is gone.

So why do I still feel his concern towards me?

"Carol, please, come here. We have to go."

I am not going with him. Not now.

He will feel a little of what I have been through.

But I want to leave this horible place.

So I go.

He takes me and run to Lake Enara.

The air rushes against my face. My body is wraped in something wet.

And cold.

But his coat is protecting me.

Green.

No. Not just green. Trees.

And I can see the sun already.

Caves. Bonfires. The Lake.

"Stay there. I'll look for Serafina Pekkala."

He leaves me at the Lake.

I dive. I go to the bottom. Fishes swim around me.

There is no pain in my heart. I am free. I don't need to stay near him anymore.

The Lake is large and I want all the distance from him that I can get. I go to the other extremity, but don't emerge.

I'll stay here.

"_Carol? Could you please come to surface for a while? Your human is not here." _

It was Kaisa. He was talking inside my mind. I attend to his request and find the goose sitting on the border.

"Thank you."

I just nod.

"If you don't want to go back South with George right now you are free to stay. What you are feeling I once felt, and I know how it is. One day you will forgive him, just as I did with Serafina. And when this day came, we will take you to the sea and you can go look for your human."

Will I find him? Yes. I know I will, I always will know where he is. We are still one being, our bond still exists, but is magnified.

Kaisa open his wings and fly away, in the direction of a cove.

He is right, I know he is. I still love George and I always will. We just need a distance for now.

I will go back for him someday. And when this day comes, it would be like it was when we were children.

No. It will be better, because, this time, we will have a hole life together.


End file.
